Call of Juarez
Call of Juarez (formerly The Lawman) is a Westerm-themed first person shooter from the Polish developer Techland, released in Europe for Windows on September 15th 2006, June 5th 2007 in North America and October 14th 2007 in Australia. It was ported to the Xbox 360 and released in North America on June 7th 2007, June 28th in Australia and June 29th in Europe. It was also released in Japan Febuary 28th, 2008. Its prequel, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood ''was released in 2009. Gameplay Call of Juarez uses Techland's 3D game engine Chrome Engine 3. Gameplay is nearly completely combat oriented, and both main characters have different combat styles. Ray can use rapid-fire with a pistol, along with dynamite and quote a passage from the Bible, while Billy is associated with stealth, often performing tasks where the play cannot be seen by NPCs (such as retrieving a saddle to ride a horse) or else the mission is failed. He can also use the whip and the bow, while Ray cannot. Experienced players can however fight up-front like Ray as Billy if they choose, instead of sneaking around, but Billy is more fragile than the experienced preacher Ray McCall. The bow is used by holding down selected button which provides bullet-time and then the player can aim and fire an arrow, but there is a set time limit for the bullet-time. Weapon conditions are Rusty, normal or Prime, and in Very Hard mode Prime weapons never appear in game. Fist fights between the player character and one or more NPCs are initiated during the story, as well. A duel is performed usually at the end of an episode with another NPC (or NPCs) and is a simple draw, aim and fire mechanic. Notably corpses, horses and NPCs cannot be harmed, Ray or Billy will turn their guns away and provide a comment about the situation. There are ways around this, although most result in mission failed. To kill a horse, Billy or Ray have to ride up on the edge of a cliff and ensure they get off the horse (else they will die as well) sometimes the steed will gradually fall, but most of the time the player has to use the 'slap horse' option to get the mount to rear up and plummet. Also, you can set a fire and let the horse burn. These two methods are the only ones that do not result in mission failed. To kill NPCs, you can throw dynamite near them as Ray, or back up and aim above them using the bow as Billy, or whip them in the head also as Billy, but all result in game over. 'Characters' * Reverend Ray - A former gunslinger turned self-righteous preacher, who hunts Billy down like an injured wolf for two murders he did not commit. *Billy Candle - A sneaking fugitive, sought by both the law and Ray, who draws ever closer to his target, forcing him to always be on the run. *Juarez - A powerful war lord with headquarters near Juarez Mexico, his only ire is the Gold of Juarez and he seeks the Medallion in order to find it. He is the biological father of Billy Candle. *Tom Manson - Juarez's second in command, he disguises his group of four as Texas Rangers, probably having killed the real officers. Under the warlord's command he and his compadre murder Thomas and Marisa and pursue Billy for the Medallion he carries. *Calm Water - An aging Native American whose name suits his personality well, nothing is known about his past. He attempts to convince Billy to stop running and face his fears, in methods he finds strange. *Molly Ferguson - Billy's love interest. She is the only one whom Billy feels he can turn to as he is being hunted down. *Ty Stewart - A bandit in Manson's group who remembers hearing tales of Ray McCall, a Confederate deserter and one of the deadliest outlaws one could run into, who wore a breastplate of armor he recognizes later on. *The McClyde Brothers - Two outlaw brothers working udner Tom Manson, evil men who don't hesitate to kill unarmed foes. *Chat - A man working at Ferguson's ranch who fancies Molly and despises Billy Candle, sparking a fist fight between them later on. *Mister Ferguson - A ranch owner who lives in the mountains, father of Molly Ferguson. After discovering Billy was romantically interested in Molly he banished him from the ranch, threatening to kill him if he ever returned. *Sheriff Tim Powell - The sheriff of Hope, obviously not a very dilligent one because of the shady characters always present. *Clyde Forrester - An arrogant, self serving pig whom attempts to cause disruption in Ray's church in the first episode, he later sides with outlaws and forces a showdown between the gunslinging-preacher and himself. *Ned the Plague - *Suzy - A prostitue working at Forrester's saloon, a childhood aquaintance of Billy Candle's. *Thomas - Brother to Ray McCall, murdered under orders of Juarez by Tom, Ty and the McClyde. *Marisa - Thomas's wife and Billy's mother, she was killed in cold blood by Juarez's underlings. 'Weapons' *1889 Classic Six Shooter *Ranger *Hybrid Gun *Quickshooter *Volcano Gun *Border Gun *Ladies Gun *Shotgun/Sawed-Off Shotgun *Classic Rifle/Scoped Classic Rifle *Bow *Whip *Holy Bible *Tomahawk *Dynamite *Gatling Gun *Cannon *Chair Prologue ''Note: Available only on Xbox 360 version A man pushing a canvas tarp covered wagon enters a fortress in Mexico. A Mexican man on the balcony teases the other man, and the Mexican's son, who is not present. Angered, the man pulls the tarp off the wagon, which reveals a gatling gun. The man opens fire on the Mexicans and stops when the dust clears. Alternative Prologue The Legend of the Lost Gold of Juarez has been passed from one generation to the next since the time of Hernando Cortez. It was said to be the ransom for Montezuma, held hostage by the Spanish in the great Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. The treasure disappeared soon after the sacking of the city. Some believe it to be buried near the border town of Juarez. The legend relates that the Aztec Sun God Huitzilopochtli put a curse on that treasure and all who seek it will find only insanity and perdition. This avaricous madness has come to be known as... Call of Juarez. Two weeks earlier... Episode I (In development.) "I'm Billy. Ma would never say who my father was... So I don't got no last name. She gave me this medallion before I could talk. It's engraved with a candle stick. So that's what the kids called me. Candle. Beats spic or pepper gut. Yeah, my ma's from Mexico. The town I grew up in is just over the border and the folks there are mostly white. Like my stepfather. Thomas. A big, mean son of a bitch who would just as soon backhand me as look at me. I grew up in a town called Hope. Pretty much the most hopeless place I've ever seen... It's full of drunks, drifters, thieves and liars. And those were the leading citizens. Like my "dear" stepfather who knocked the tar out of me at least once a day, rain or shine. Said he was teaching me how to be a man. but all he taught me was how to take a beatin'... The last time he laid a hand on me was over two years ago. I took off and didn't look back. I left to find my fortune. The legendary Gold of Juarez. Wanted to prove that S.O.B. that I could be more than he ever was... But the world's a hard place and I didn't find squat. Did meet a girl though. Molly. Damn she was pretty... Didn't work out though. Her dad saw to that... So now I'm back. Hungry. Broke. I don't have nothing. Not even a last name. - Billy (Prologue from Episode I) South Texas, 1884. Billy Candle has just come home on a two-year expedition to find the Gold of Juarez, his search turned up nothing, dismayed, he reluctantly returns home to his mother Marisa, and step-father Thomas McCall. Billy comes upon the home of a farmer named Jones, Billy sneaks up onto the roof of Jones' home and steals Jones' gun (Billy wants protection in case the worst should happen, when he meets Thomas). Billy then heads back to his hometown of Hope, where he is stopped by local sheriff, Tim Powell. Tim orders Billy to hand over the gun. Billy reluctantly obeys, and heads into town, he notices four men in dusters, and he keeps his distance. Suddenly, a voice cries out from the saloon. Suzy (a childhood friend of Billy, and a prostitute at Forrester's Grand Saloon), asks Billy to come over so they can chat. Billy goes into the saloon, and is stopped by Clyde Forrester, who shoos him away since Billy has no money. Billy sneaks around the side of the Saloon, grabs a whip and climbs into Suzy's room. While Suzy checks on Clyde, Billy steals Suzy's derringer from her dresser. Shortly, Suzy comes in, and as they start to get "reacquainted", Clyde bursts into the room, his pistol aimed at Billy. Billy in fear jumps out the window and takes of into the woods. Clyde orders some men to go chase Billy, but they are unsuccessful. Billy comes upon the home of a Civil War veteran named Frank, who has a habit of talking to his sawn-off shotgun (whom he refers to as "Lucy"). Frank, pleased to see Billy, asks him about the Gold. Billy says it's "nothing but a fairy tale". Frank misunderstands, and walks off to a wagon to fix it. Billy sneaks into Frank's house and grabs a box of ammo. Suddenly Frank storms into the room with "Lucy" pointed at Billy. Frank tries to shoot at his would-be thief, but Billy manages to escape. Billy runs through the forest, and comes upon his home. Billy reminisces about his past life when suddenly his mother's screams ring through the forest. Billy in a rage yells, "Thomas! You get away from her you bastard! You hear me? I'll kill you!"... Episode II (In development.) "It is on this Sabbath day, in this empty church, that I pray to thee. What am I to not lose faith to the people in this town? Please. God, give me the strength to lead these sinners to righteousness. Last night the demons of my past visited me in a nightmare. What are you trying to tell me, Lord? That the citizens of Hope are descending into darkness, just as I was once, trapped in the shadows of Satan's embrace? I personally invited every last soul in the town to today's service. I will bring them your word, Lord. I will show them the way." -Reverend Ray (Prologue to Episode II) As Billy is on the run from an angry mob, Reverend Ray McCall is holding a church service in the local Hope Church. As he is preaching his sermon, Ray and Clyde Forrester get in a heated debate. Ray orders Clyde to leave, but he refuses. Suddenly. the church doors burst open and a woman tells Ray that she "heard gunshots at your brother's farm". Shocked, Ray storms out of the church and heads to Thomas' farm. As he walks onto the property, he sees Thomas and Marisa both dead, above them is "Call of Juarez", written in blood on the barn door. Suddenly, Billy walks out of the barn and sees Ray. Billy takes off, and Ray, thinking that Billy murdered his brother and sister-in-law, gives chase. However, Billy escapes on a bridge and cuts it down, taking off down the road on the other side of a cliff. Ray is shocked in what has just taken place. He heads back to Hope to tell Tim when Ray notices three men rummaging through Thomas' belongings. Ray walks over to them and tells them to get out. The robbers refuse, and Ray in a rage, puts up his fists, and punches all three men down. Ray looks down at the corpses and asks God what He wants from him... Episode III (In development.) "That bastard child's been a burden on this Earth since the day he was born. Shiftless no account coward. How dare he end a life as righteous as my brother's! If I could I would kill him. Lord, is that what you want from me? To be your sword? I've spent twenty years preaching to hyenas and wolves, but maybe there are some who are beyond redemption. Is that what you're telling me Lord? To destroy those who cannot be saved? If that is what you want, then that is how I will serve you. And I will excecute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; And they shall know that I am Jehovah, when I lay my punishment upon them!" - Reverend Ray, commenting Billy Candle. (Prologue from Episode III) Ray believes God has told him to punish Billy for the murder of Thomas and Marisa. So Ray goes into a closet and dons his old gunfighter outfit, and takes up his guns once more. As Ray walks out of the church Tim Powell and a crowd of people are outside. Tim tells Ray to hand over his "hoglegs", and explains to Ray it is his job, not Ray's to go prosecutre Billy. Without warning, a man in the crowd shoots Tim in the back. Ray fires back, and the crowd scatters, the other rioters escaping into town. Ray goes after them, when four men step out from behind a wagon. Ray guns them down. Suddenly, a scream echoes from out a window. Ray bursts into the bulding to find two men holding Mrs. Powell hostage. He kills the men, and in return, Mrs. Powell tells Ray to kill the men before they break their friends out of jail. She gives him the keys to the jail. Ray leaves and kills off more of the outlaws. Two men go and blow open the door to the jail, and get their friends out. Ray kills all of them, when suddenly an outlaw locks the door behind Ray, trapping him inside the jail. Two men go and set the jail ablaze. Ray manages to escape through the roof, and goes into the barn. After gunning down nearly all the outlaws, Ray finds the men have taken refuge inside the Grand Saloon. Ray kills some more men, and a group of men try to trample Ray with a wagon. Fortunately the wagon misses and slams into the saloon. Ray shoots at the barrels of TNT that are on the wagon, and the Saloon goes up in flames. Men engulfed in flames run out only to be shot down by Ray. Clyde manages to put himself out, and tells Ray that he is no better than himself, and claims that Ray and Clyde are two sides of the same coin. Ray and Clyde then get into a duel and Ray emerges victorious. Ray proclaims to the town that they have suffered the fury of God. Ray then proclaims himself as God's "Judge, Jury, and Executioner"... Episode IV (Under development.) "Gotta run. No matter if I killed somebody or not - They'll hang me anyway. I can hear the hounds... Jesus Christ, get a grip of yourself! Mexico would be the safest bet... But the road leads straight to Juarez. I'd have to be crazy to go anywhere near that place. But wait, wait a minute... What about that mine near Black River? A train passes right by there. I could jump on it and hitch a ride to San Jose. Oh, Molly's there. The one person in the world I can trust." - ''Billy Candle (Prologue from Episode IV) Billy has been on the run from Ray for a few days now. He now finds himself in the middle of the forest, at night. Billy then comes upon the bodies of Apache Renegades. Knowing they are a threat, Billy becomes more cautious. He comes to a cliff, and notices a bunch of tents, and campfires. He believes the men are just plundering the mine, but he stills wants to stay clear of them. As Billy descends a tunnel, he overhears two men talking. They unknowingly reveal to Billy, they are infact outlaws waiting for a train to come by, so they can hold it up. Billy sneaks through, killing the men as he goes through the camps. Suddenly, thunder roars over the skies. Billy decides to use the thunder to muffle the sounds of his bow (which he picked off an Apache), and manages to get to the Mine to wait out the incoming storm. Suddenly, the bridge Billy was crossing gives way, and Billy plummets into the river. He manages to grab a hold of some rocks, and get himself onto dry land. Billy finds a set of crates on an embankment across from the mine. Billy decides to hold off the gang as long as he can. After killing a few men, two more come out only to get shot down. Billy looks to see Reverend Ray coming out of the mine, his eyes centered on Billy. The train then comes through, and Billy jumps onto it, as Ray fires his revolver... Episode V (In development.) ''"The storm is coming. I can hear the thunder. Dark days for humankind are drawing near. For the great day of his wrath has come, and who shall be able to stand? I am your sword now, oh Lord, and your will will be done. I've been chasing that boy for days now. Took me some time to find his trail, as he didn't run for the border as I was sure he would. Instead he headed west. He's probably sitting out of the storm in the Black River Mine. Years ago, I did the same. I know every inch of those tunnels and if he is down there, then I will find him." - Reverend Ray (Prologue to Episode V) Ray finds himself by the Black River Mine, thinking Billy is hiding out the thunderstorm in it. As Ray enters the mine, he finds some outlaws robbing a train hiding in the mine too. Ray guns the men down, and goes through the mine killing anybody with a firearm. Suddenly, Ray comes upon a man who tells Ray, that "for a preacher, you sure don't seem to damn peaceful", Ray chases after the man, but the balcony Ray's on gives away, and Ray plummets ti the bottom of the Mine. Ray survives the fall and continues killing off the bandits. As Ray exits the mine he sees Billy jump onto a train and manage to escape. Ray goes after the train, but is stopped by the man he met earlier. The man reveals that he is the leader of a outlaw gang, and goes by Ned "The Plague". Ray and Ned get in a duel, and Ray shoots Ned in the gut. Dying, Ned reveals the rest of his gang are by a bridge, waiting to rob it. Ray thanks Ned, who then dies... Episode VI (In development.) "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: For thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me... Let all those who carry the mark of the beast cover in terror! For I will come for them as I follow the murderer's trail. Are you there, Billy Candle? Are you there, you son of the Devil? I'm coming for you, and I bring Hell onto thee! Gunshots... I must hurry..." - Reverend Ray (Prologue to Episode VI) '' The following morning, Ray is walking through a train tunnel. As he exits the tunnel, he comes upon a wounded soldier. The soldier tells Ray that bandits attacked the train, and have held it hostage. Ray thanks the soldier for the information, and as he asks the solier if he saw a man on the roof of the train, the soldier replies, "Get...help!", and dies. Ray walks down the train tracks, where he encounters the remaining thugs in Ned's gang. He guns down any man with a gun, and gets into the train. Soon, he comes upon an outlaw on a gatling gun, killing off three soldiers. Ray kills the man, when suddenly the train is attacked by a mob of outlaws. Ray manages to gun them all down. He enters the next part of the train, and finds the survivng soldiers had taken refuge there. The leader of the men, Liutenant Matthew Parker, tells Ray that he sent some men to go up a hill with a powder keg, to destroy a barricade the outlaws built. Ray informs Parker, that the men were killed. Parker tells Ray, and the two remaining soldiers (Smith and Cole), to take another keg, and try to blow up the barricade. Ray takes the keg and sets it down by the barricade, then runs back up the hill, and shoots it, blowing up the barricade, and taking out two outlaws. Ray heads up the hill, and kills off a group of men at the edge of a cliff, who had previously set off an explosion in a train car killing two soldiers. Ray heads back only to find Smith killed by an outlaw, Ray kills the men, and heads into the train car, helping Cole fend off the outlaws who breached it. Ray goes through the rest of the train killing bandits. Later, Ray enters another car to find a woman being held hostage. The bandits replies that, "One more step, and she woman gets it, padre!" The bandits exits the train car with the woman. Ray kills off the bandits left in the car and attempts to open the door. A wounded soldier (Parker) tells Ray, that the door is locked from the outside, with a wooden plank. He tells Ray to grab a Scoped Classic Rifle, and shoot the bar. Ray asks him if he's seen a man on the roof of the train. The man, however has already died. Ray exits the train and backtracks to the car with the gatling gun, Ray walks down a trail killing off outlaws, and comes to the cliff on the other side of the train. Ray takes aim with the sniper rifle, and knocks down the bar. Ray comes back to the train car, and opens the door. Climbing a ladder he finds the kidnapper desparately trying to push the woman off the train. She falls, but manages to hold on to the edge of the train. Ray kills the man, and helps the woman back up. Ray goes to the engineer who has survived, and asks him about the robbery. The man replies that the track makes a hard turn, so the engineer naturally stopped, to make the train go slower. At that time, the bandits had attacked. Ray asks the engineer if he saw a man on the roof on the train before the attack. The engineer replies he did see a man, and sent the soldiers after him. The man took off though, and apparently seemed to be wounded. The engineer replies that Ray will get a reward for what he's done. Ray, retorts "For the love of money is the root of all evil, and some whose hearts are fixed on it have been turned away from the faith." Ray mentions to the engineer that the man he's after has slaughtered one farm family. The man tells ray that authorities will be asking about him. Ray calmly replies, "Tell them I'm...a missionary." Ray thanks the man, but the engineer in fear, doesn't want Ray to leave, since the whole bank's payroll is on the train. Suddenly, a voice cries out to Ray, the last outlaw alive in Ned's gang challenges him to a duel. Ray accepts and kills the man, forever ending "The Plague" group, as he wins the battle. Episode VII (In development.) ''"That was Ray... Reverend Ray! Right there on that cliff, looking at me like death hisself.' He's crazy. That asshole won't rest 'till I'm dead and buried. I gotta find a horse or he'll catch up with me. There's still a few miles to the ranch, and I think I sprained my damn ankle. The soldiers almost had me. Wouldn't have gotten away at all if all hell hadn't broken loose... I gotta find Molly. Molly'll believe me.''" ''-Billy (Prologue from Episode VII'') Episode VIII (In development.) ''"I see the angels of death. They're gazing down upon me. They must be guiding me, because I found the boy's trail swiftly. He's heading towards inhabited areas. He must be in despair. He has to know the end is near. By his tracks I can see he's limping. Hurt, wounded and armed - dangerous indeed. I must make haste. No time to rest." - Reverend Ray (Prologue to Episode VIII)'' Episode IX (In development.) "There is one candle, but three graves. The Gold of Juarez belongs only to the brave. This medallion is for you, mija. I want you to wear it always. Put it on over your corazon. The candle engraved upon it will light your path and protect you from evil." -Billy's mother talking about his medallion. (Prologue to Episode IX) Episode X (In development.) "Darkness. It's all around me. The light that has led me... has deserted me. Did it ever exist? I'm on the kidnapper's trail, there's nothing else left. They're travelling down the river by raft and they seldom break to camp. In a few miles, the river flows into a canyon and changes into white water. There's a smuggler's trail there, leading all the way to Mexico. They have to make landfall and when they do, I will be there. It's my only chance to save that girl." -Reverend Ray McCall (Prologue to Episode X) Episode XI (In development.) ''"There is one candle, but three graves. The Gold of Juarez belongs only to the brave. This medallion is for you my darling, I want you to wear it always. Put it on over your corazon. The candle in grave deponent will light your path and protect You from evil. There's only one candle, but three graves.'In the first grave, the bad man sleeps. He might wake up, so shhhhhhh. In the second one, a heart of a rich man with a heart of stone slumbers. For him the gift will not be enough. In the third grave, a beggar lays. You need to light the candle for him, because a little warmth means a lot to a poor man. He'll give you the gold, because the poor are always more generous than the rich. There is one candle, but three graves. The Gold of Juarez belongs only to the brave." '- Billy's mother, last time reminding Billy about the medallion. (Prologue to Episode XI) Episode XII (In development.) (No Prologue) Episode XIII (In development.) (No Prologue) Episode XIV (In development.) "Thomas and I had a younger brother. William. Ah, he was the best of us. A man of faith. We were running cattle over the border from El Paso and would spend time in a little cantina in San Lorenzo. That's where I first laid eyes on Marisa. Oh, I knew she belonged to Juarez, but I wanted her for mine. Marisa had other ideas though. She was in love with Thomas. They ran off together and I tracked them to these very caverns of Juarez. Brother William begged me to walk away, but oh, I was crazy with greed. I wanted Marisa... I wanted the gold... Brother William got between me and Thomas and reached into his coat. I thought he was going for a gun... So I shot him. My little brother... and as he fell, I saw what he was reaching for. A bible. In that instant, I renounced evil and embraced the word of God. Oh, we left the Gold. We knew it was cursed. And I dedicated my life to serving the Lord. I tried to make amends, but my sins were too great. Anger, hate, pride, arrogance. Oh Lord, I humbly accept that the time has come for me to offer recompence for my transgressions." - Reverend Ray, telling of his past (Prologue to Episode XIV). Episode XV (In development.) "Ray told me to run and maybe I should. I... I could take off with the gold and no one would ever find me. Ray'll save the girl. He don't need me. Probably better if I never see her again. Sure I'll be on the run, but - This time I'll be rich. So why am I still standing here? Maybe I'm just tired of running. Or maybe it's time to stop being afraid. Calm Water tried to help me and now he's dead. Just like my ma. And probably Reverend Ray if I just walk away. No, this time I'm taking a stand. 'Cause if I don't - If I run - Fear will dog me wherever I go. And I will never be free." - Billy (Prologue to Episode XV) Trivia * The North American release of the PC version was one of the first games to utilize Microsoft's DirectX 10. * First Call of Juarez is so far only CoJ game where player is able to use "quickshooting" ability. * Call of Juarez also allows the ability for the player to pick up most objects, more than any others in the series. * A rarity for most first person shooters, Call of Juarez is also the only game in the series in which the player can see their character's chest and legs when looking down, however Bound in Blood and The Cartel character models also have a chest (which is not visible unless exploiting a glitch). * A mobile phone version was released which was a port of Episode III. Category:Games Category:Call of Juarez